I witnessed a lovely wedding in the Cyclades at the beginning of June. It was held in Sifnos, a beautiful, isolated and authentic Greek island sheltered from tourism. This small haven of peace provided the perfect setting for V&X’s magnificent wedding.
Do you remember what I told you two weeks ago? I mentioned the civil wedding of V&X in Lausanne. A simple ceremony in small committee, just with their loved ones. They made contemporary pictures in the narrow streets of Lausanne. We meet them again for a new article that describes their wonderful orthodox ceremony in Greece.
Their gorgeous wedding in the Cyclades spanned an entire weekend and was divided into several parts: The Pre-Wedding, the Religious Wedding, the Evening Party, and the Day-After Photo Shoot. I will describe the details of this beautiful wedding in the Cyclades as I go along.
To be honest, this wedding was a source of stress for me at first. The stress didn’t come for the wedding itself. No matter the circumstances, I adapt to the situation and always deliver. Actually, that beautiful wedding in the Cyclades was more about discovering myself. Let me tell you more about it in my travel report…
A beautiful wedding on the Cyclades islands
PRE-WEDDING
What I am going to describe is something that is largely practiced in the US. They usually meet a few days before the wedding to celebrate the end of the preparations. Guests are often scattered all over the world so this is also a way of celebrating their connection to each other. V&X decided to invite all those who were already there on Friday to join them so they could experience this weekend even more intensely. The schedule for that evening: Greek folk dances, spritz and lots of fun!
A beautiful wedding on the Cyclades islands
D-DAY
The big day has finally arrived. The weather is beautiful. The island is quiet and gently wakes up under the sea breeze. I join X and his friends for his dressing close to my accommodations. As always, I take the time to arrange his belongings and accessories. I also take pictures of the group as they get ready. All his friends then help X to get dressed. They all laugh and we end with a portrait of each of them and a group picture. I steal the groom to take a few portraits of this moment… I then go back to my little car and drive inland to meet the pretty bride…
The beautiful bride’s a little stressed out. The makeup artist was late. Not everything’s going the way she’d like it to. It’s taking longer than expected. What she doesn’t know yet is that everything’s going to be okay. It always turns out all right! The place is narrow and dark. It’s hard to move around. I decide to dress our beautiful sylph on the terrace…No one can see us from there! Not much time is left for the last preparations. We do a couple portraits to relax. Before going to the religious ceremony, V joins her dad. He is Greek. She is Greek. They’re proud of their origins. That’s why they were so eager to get married in on the Cyclades Islands… He’s moved. So is she…
The church for the Orthodox ceremony is located on a cliff by the sea. The chapel is small and only the closest members of the family will be able to attend the ceremony. If you would like to know more about the traditions of Orthodox marriage, I wrote an article about it. They were Russian but a part from a few details, the structure is the same.
Describing the chapel as small is an understatement. I had to hold on to the incense bottle at least 3 times! Whenever I needed to take a step I had to squeeze myself between guests… How about the heat? That’s quite a story in itself. But it still made for a beautiful moment! As soon as the ceremony was over, we took the group photos. In Greece, wedding ceremonies start late because of the heat. Not before 6 pm… so you can imagine that good timing was crucial to get everything done… we took advantage of the fact that the sun sets late to take some improvised pictures of the couple. It’s almost 7:30 pm… already… The couple gets few minutes to be together. I capture these moments and these emotions with my camera then we leave for dinner.
We arrive as the night falls at the dinner venue where cocktails, speeches, the bride and groom’s entrance, and the opening of the ball with traditional Greek dances will take place! – Yes, we didn’t bother to rehearse the day before! The bride and groom end up in the water and the celebration lasts until dawn…. I took pictures until sunrise, but I won’t show them to you!!!! It might scare some of you! But we had so much fun!
A beautiful wedding on the Cyclades islands
Day After
To be honest, it was hard to pick up the camera for a shoot the next morning after an intense day like that. I think the bride and groom were a little tired too. They both had dark circles around their eyes that no amount of makeup could ever cover. They get a quick hairdo and we get started. The lighting is not always the same, so it’s sometimes difficult to create continuity in the story.
For me, if you want to consider shooting « Day After » session, it might be better to do it a week later. Or even a month later. Go for a different atmosphere. Another place. Use this opportunity to do something fun. My husband and I, for example, went to Brittany to get our shot done by the sea on horseback! How about you? Where do you picture yourself?
Did you like this report and my work as a Swiss wedding photographer. I hope I was able to convey the emotions of these beautiful people through my pictures. Feel free to write me so we can talk about ways of sharing your story!
